04:07:00

SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

 

Services for Students with Disabilities coordinates services for "qualified" students with disabilities who self-identify and request services or reasonable accommodation.  Reasonable accommodation(s) is(are) decided on a case-by-case basis.

Pellissippi State complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).  According to Section 504 and ADA, "a person with a disability is someone who has a disability that impairs a major life function, who has a history of having a disability, and/or who is regarded as having a disability."

I.        Services for Students with Disabilities Role:

A.     Prospective and new students about the availability of services and how to self-identify.

B.      Meet with students who self-identify as having a disability to develop an individual academic accommodation plan if appropriate.

C.     Maintain confidential student files.

D.     Identify the physical or academic barriers for students with disabilities.  Be an advocate for the removal of the barriers.

E.      Identify adaptive equipment, community resources, etc. for students with disabilities.  Provide information on appropriate and reasonable accommodations, and refer students to appropriate resources.

F.      Serve as a liaison between students with disabilities and faculty/staff, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and other agencies.

G.     Provide activities or resource materials for Pellissippi State faculty and staff; promote awareness about students with disabilities.

H.     Serve as an advocate for students with disabilities.

I.        Participate in community disability related committees or events.

II.     Faculty Role

All faculty are required to allow and/or to provide reasonable accommodation for students with documented disabilities.  The faculty member will:

A.      Provide or permit the reasonable and appropriate accommodation(s) as recommended for each student as outlined in the accommodation plan from Services for Students with Disabilities.

B.      Meet with the student to discuss the academic accommodations that are requested or recommended by Services for Students with Disabilities.

C.      Consult with Services for Students with Disabilities for clarification of a student's accommodation plan and/or on any issue related to reasonable accommodation.

D.     Maintain confidentiality of student accommodation requests.

E.      Refer students to Services for Students with Disabilities who request accommodations but have not self-identified or who do not have a written Accommodation Plan.

F.       Consult with Services for Students with Disabilities if a student with a disability exhibits inappropriate or disruptive classroom behavior.

G.     Other than providing the appropriate accommodations, treat the student with a disability the same as other students.

H.     Consult with Services for Students with Disabilities and or with the Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action officer (ADA coordinator) if any outside agency or attorney contacts you regarding a student with a disability.

III.   Student With Disability Role

Students with disabilities are invited to self-identify.  Students who request services must provide documentation that will support the need for services or accommodations.  The student:

A.      May voluntarily disclose his/her disability and provide current documentation of the disability, that includes a diagnosis and information regarding functional limitations.

B.      Must meet with Services for Students with Disabilities each semester that an accommodation may be needed.

C.      Must provide the Accommodation Plan Form to each his/her instructor(s) and discuss the recommended accommodations with the instructor.

D.     Should notify Services for Students with Disabilities immediately if there is any question or dispute about a reasonable academic accommodation request.

E.      Must comply with all Pellissippi State disciplinary rules and policies as outlined in the current Pellissippi State Student Catalog and Handbook.

IV.  Accommodations/Services

All accommodations and services for students with disabilities are coordinated on a case-by-case basis by Services for Students With Disabilities in Goins Administration Building Rooms 125, 127 and 131.  Assistance with disability issues is available by appointment.

A.      Adaptive equipment

Special equipment may be available at each campus.  Students are permitted to use campus adaptive equipment on a first-come, first-served basis.  Students may use his/her own adaptive equipment, as indicated on the accommodation plan.  Use of campus adaptive equipment is limited to people with disabilities.

B.      Applications for Recording for Blind and Dyslexic, Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled

       Applications for these programs are available in Services for Students with Disabilities.

C.      Extended time for tests/assignments

If appropriate, students with documented disabilities may have extended time for tests or assignments.  Time allowed is determined on a case-by-case basis and is documented on the student's accommodation plan.  Additionally, alternative testing may be recommended.  The extended time allows a student to compensate for a disability.  Appropriate testing sites are classrooms, conference rooms, quiet offices or the testing center.

D.     Liaison with Vocational Rehabilitation

Many students with disabilities receive support (an academic scholarship) from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).  Communication with V.R. staff is conducted on a regular basis.  Students who receive support are required to meet V.R. eligibility requirements.

E.      Notetaker and Tape recorder

Special notepaper is provided at no cost to the student who volunteers as a notetaker as determined by the faculty.  Having a notetaker does not relieve the student from the responsibility to attend class.  Students are permitted to bring tape recorders to tape lectures for personal study, if indicated on the personal accommodations plan.

F.       Priority Registration

Students with disabilities who have needs that require advance planning may participate in priority registration conducted one week in advance of regular registration.  Determination of eligibility for priority registration will be made by Services for Students with Disabilities staff on a case-by case basis.

G.     Reader and Tape Recorded Test

Qualified students, upon request, and approval may have a reader or may have a tape recorded test.  Guidelines and procedures for using the reader service must be followed.

H.     Reduced tuition rates for permanently disabled students

A reduced tuition rate is available for Tennessee residents who meet the requirements of the Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-3251.  Obtain eligibility form from Services for Students with Disabilities.  Completed forms should be returned to Students with Disabilities.

I.        Referral to community services

When appropriate, referrals are made to community or other agencies.

J.        Scribe or Assistant

Qualified students may have a scribe or an assistant for lab, etc.

K.     Sign language interpreter

Qualified interpreters are provided for students who are deaf or hearing impaired.  Students must request interpreters for college extracurricular activities or for meetings with faculty or staff.  It is the student's responsibility to notify the interpreter or Services for Students with Disabilities staff when the student will be absent from class.  Twenty-four hours notice is required.  Sign language interpreting services will be temporarily suspended after two no-shows or last-minute cancellations.  The service can be restored only after a student meets with a Services for Students with Disabilities staff member.  If the student can document an emergency or other situation that prevents 24 hours notice of absence, allowances may be made for suspension of services at the discretion of Services for Students with Disabilities.

L.      TDD

TDD service is available in the security office of the main campus, and the Assistant Dean's office at the other campuses or teaching site.

M.    Tutoring

The College is not required to provide tutors under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  Tutors are a “personal service” that the college provides to support students in their academic efforts.  Tutors are intended to support the student to achieve “average” grades in the subject area assigned.

N.     Academic Modifications

Pellissippi State Technical Community College will consider requests for academic modifications from “qualified” students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis.  (A “qualified” student is a student with a documented disability who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission and participation in Pellissippi State’s academic programs and activities.)  The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 regulations Section 104.44(a) of 34 C.F.R. state that “postsecondary educational institutions may be required to modify their academic requirements to ensure that they do not discriminate, or have the effect of discriminating against a qualified disabled student.  In addition, academic requirements that the college can demonstrate are essential to the program of instruction being pursued by the student or to any directly related licensing requirement will not be regarded as discriminatory.”

Students must make written requests for academic modifications to Services for Students with Disabilities.  The student must provide information related to the specific course(s) for which a modification is requested and must also provide written documentation that supports the student’s need for the modification.  Documentation of the need for an academic modification must give specific, factual information that validates the need.  The documentation may include, but is not limited to, educational/psychological testing related to the student’s potential academic performance in the specific academic area, transcripts of the requesting student’s history of academic performance, statement of the requesting student’s major area of study, and other supportive documentation.

Upon receipt of the written request, Services for Students with Disabilities will prepare the documentation for review and schedule a meeting of the Academic Modifications Committee.  Documentation will include the student’s name, address, college-wide identification number, specific disability, grade point average, transcript(s), and other relevant information.  The Academic Modifications Committee will review and decide the appropriate academic modifications, if any.  Members of the Academic Modifications Committee include the Vice President of Learning, Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, the Academic Department Dean of the student’s major area, designated faculty, staff and other appropriate individuals as determined by the Vice President of Learning.  Services for Students with Disabilities will notify the student of the final decision.

Once a precedent-setting decision has been made regarding whether a course is essential to a specific academic program, the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities may request permission from the Vice President of Learning to grant the same modification for requests by students meeting the same criteria as those in the precedent-setting decision without calling a meeting of an Academic Modifications Committee.  In all cases the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities will provide the Vice President with a summary document as outlined in this policy when requesting permission to grant the modification.  The Vice President shall then have the option of allowing the modification by the Director or calling a meeting of an Academic Modification Committee.

Academic modifications apply only to a specific course(s) as determined by the Committee and are only granted as long as the student’s declared major area of study remains unchanged.  Academic modifications are specific to Pellissippi State and do not apply to other colleges or articulation agreements negotiated with other colleges.

V.     Formal Grievance Procedure

Any Pellissippi State student with a disability who has reason to feel that he or she has been affected by discrimination should contact the Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action officer, ADA, 504 Title II and Title IX Coordinator, in the Goins Administration Building, Room 204 or call (865) 694-6607.

VI.  Services for Students with Disabilities Office

For additional information on services, questions about Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, contact Services for Students with Disabilities or the office may be accessed at the Goins Administration Building, Rooms 125, 127 and 131 or by calling (865)694-6751 Voice/TDD or (865)539-7153.

VII.  Students With a Seizure Disorder

Students who have a seizure disorder should self-identify to Services for Students with Disabilities, Room 131 in the Goins Administration Building.  In order to receive services, the student should provide recent documentation of the seizure disorder.   Services for Students with Disabilities recommends that students inform their instructors in writing of procedures they want in place in the event of a seizure.  If students do not inform them, instructors will follow the College policy on emergencies.

VIII.         Guidelines For Documentation Of A Specific Learning Disability

These guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that LD documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.  They are consistent with current national standards for post secondary education.

It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation to Services for Students With Disabilities.  Students are encouraged to identify themselves to the office, but are not required to do so.  If a student chooses not to reveal a disability, Services for Students with Disabilities cannot provide services or accommodations to the student.

A.     Qualifications of the Evaluator

Professionals conducting assessments, rendering diagnoses of learning disabilities, and making recommendations for appropriate accommodations must be qualified to do so.  The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate specific learning disabilities provided that they have additional training and experience in the assessment of learning problems in adolescents and adults: clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, medical doctors, and other professionals.  Use of diagnostic terminology indicating a learning disability by someone whose training and experience are not in these fields is not acceptable.  All documentation must include the name, title, and credentials of the evaluator.  (All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed and otherwise legible.)  It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their families.

B.     Documentation should contain the following:

1.       Diagnostic Interview

An evaluation should include the summary of a diagnostic interview.  It may include a description of the presenting problems; developmental, medical, psycho-social and employment histories; family history and a discussion of co-morbid conditions where indicated.

2.       Assessment

The evaluation must provide clear and specific evidence that a learning disability does or does not exist.  Assessment and diagnosis should be based on a comprehensive assessment battery which does not rely on any one test or subtest.  A substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity must be provided.  Tests should be reliable, valid and standardized for use with the adolescent/adult population.  Commonly used tests include the following:

 

C.     Tests for Assessing Adolescents and Adults

       Test instruments should be reliable, valid, and standardized on an appropriate norm group.

1.       Aptitude

a.       Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-III)

b.       Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised: Test of Cognitive Ability

c.       Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT)

d.       Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th ed.)

e.       The Slosson Intelligence Test-Revised and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test are primarily screening devices which are not comprehensive enough to provide the kind of information necessary to make accommodation decisions.

2.       Academic Achievement

a.       Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)

b.       Stanford Test of Academic Skills

c.       Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised: Test of Achievement

d.       Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) or specific achievement tests such as:

(1)    Nelson-Denny Reading Skills Test

(2)    Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test

(3)    Test of Written Language-3 (TOWL-3)

(4)    Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests - Revised

Specific achievement tests are useful instruments when administered under standardized conditions and interpreted within the context of other diagnostic information.  The Wide Range Achievement Test-3 (WRAT-3) is not a comprehensive measure of achievement and is not useful as the sole measure of achievement.

D.     Information Processing

Acceptable instructions include the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-3 (DTLA-3), the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-Adult (DTLA-A), information from subtests on WAIS-R, Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised: Test of Cognitive Ability, as well as other relevant instruments.

The following domains must be addressed:

1.       Aptitude.  A complete intellectual assessment with subtest and standard scores reported.

2.       Academic Achievement.  A comprehensive academic achievement battery is necessary with all subtests and standard scores reported for those subtests administered.  The battery should include current levels of academic functioning in reading (decoding and comprehension), mathematics, and oral and written language.

3.       Information Processing.  Specific areas of information processing (e.g., short-and long-term memory, sequential memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, executive functioning and motor ability) should be assessed.

4.       Other.  Other standard and formal assessment measures may be integrated with the above to help support a diagnosis.  Testing must be current, preferably within the last three (3) years.  An Individual Educational Plan (IEP) alone is not acceptable documentation. Reports must include the date(s) of testing.

E.      Specific Diagnosis

There must be clear and specific evidence of a learning disability.  Individual "learning styles," "learning differences," "academic problems" and "test difficulty or anxiety," in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability.  The diagnostician should use direct language and avoid terms such as, "suggests" or "is indicative of."  If the data indicate that a learning disability is not present, the evaluator should state that conclusion in the report.

F.      Test Scores

Standard and/or percentile scores should be provided for all normed measures.  Grade equivalents are not useful unless standard and percentiles are included.  The profile of the student's strengths and weaknesses should logically relate to accommodation request.

G.     Clinical Summary

A clinical summary should be included with the following information:

1.       Demonstration of the evaluator's having ruled out alternative explanations for academic problems.

2.       Indication of how patterns of the student's ability, achievement and processing show the presence of a learning disability.

3.       Indication of the substantial limitation to learning or other major life activity presented by the learning disability and the degree to which it impacts the individual.

4.       Indication of why specific accommodations are needed and how the effects of the specific disability are accommodated.  A record of prior accommodation or auxiliary aids should be provided if available.

H.     Recommendations for Accommodations

The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodations as well as an explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended.  Recommendations should be supported with specific test results or clinical observations.

If accommodations are not clearly identified in the report, Services for Students with Disabilities will seek clarification or more information.

Services for Students with Disabilities will make the final determination for providing appropriate and reasonable accommodations.

IX.   Guidelines For Documentation Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

These guidelines are provided in the interest of assuring that AD/HD documentation is appropriate to verify eligibility and to support requests for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids.  They are consistent with current national standards for post secondary education.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation to this office.  Students are encouraged to identify themselves to the office, but are not required to do so.  If a student chooses not to reveal a disability or provide appropriate documentation, Services for Student With Disabilities cannot provide services or accommodations to the student.

A.      Qualifications of the Evaluator

Professionals conducting assessments, rendering diagnoses of AD/HD and making recommendations for accommodations must be qualified to do so.  The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate and diagnose AD/HD provided they have training and experience in the assessment of AD/HD in adolescents and adults:  psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and other relevantly trained medical doctors.  A clinical team approach containing educational, medical, and counseling professionals with training in the evaluation of AD/HD in adolescents and adults is recommended.  Use of diagnostic terminology indicating the presence of AD/HD by someone whose training and experience are not in these fields is not acceptable.  It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their families.  All documentation must include the name, title, and credentials of the evaluator.  All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible.

B.      Documentation must be Current and Comprehensive

In most cases, a diagnostic evaluation should have been completed within the past three years.  It should address the current level of functioning, need for accommodations, and be applicable to the current educational setting.

The following information should be included in a comprehensive assessment: clinical summary of objective historical information:  establishment of symptoms first exhibited in childhood and continuing through adolescence and adulthood, and existence in more than one setting with inclusion of relevant documentation from past educational testing and records and third party interviews, if appropriate.  A statement of current impairment must be provided, indicating impairment in two or more settings.  Documentation should contain a Diagnostic Interview consisting of more than self-report.  At a minimum the Diagnostic Interview should include a developmental history, family history, relevant medical and medication history, relevant psychosocial history, relevant academic history, relevant employment history and a thorough review of prior psycho educational testing to document functional limitations pertaining to the an educational setting.  Clear explanations of current substantial limitations to learning or other major life activity in an educational setting that are perceived as a direct result of AD/HD should be provided.

C.     Testing

Relevant testing information must be included.  Documentation must contain relevant psychoeducational or neuropsychological testing information that demonstrates the current impact of the AD/HD in an educational setting.  Results of a complete psychoeducational assessment are necessary including the following domains:  Aptitude testing, Academic Achievement, Information Processing, other standard and formal assessments measures.  (See Attachment A for a list of commonly used tests).  All standard/or percentile scores should be provided for all normed measures.  Grade equivalents alone are not acceptable.  The diagnostician must review and include the relevant information that supports the diagnosis and its impact in educational settings.  Test scores or subtest scores by themselves should not be the only measure of the diagnosis.  Checklists and surveys may supplement the diagnosis but are not adequate as sole diagnostic measures.  Reports must include the date(s) of testing.

D.     Specific Diagnosis

Documentation should include a thorough investigation of alternative diagnoses or explanations and a specific diagnosis.  The diagnostician should clearly rule out alternative or co-morbid explanations for academic problems that may appear similar to AD/HD.  There should be a clear and specific diagnosis of AD/HD including a review and discussion of the DSM-IV criteria used.  The diagnostician should use direct language and avoid terms such as, “suggests,” or “is indicative of,” or “attention problems.”

E.      Recommendations for Accommodations

Documentation should include specific recommendations of reasonable accommodations, as well as an explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended.  Recommendations must relate to the need for accommodations at the individual’s present level of functioning in an educational setting.  Copies of an Individual Educational Plans (IEP) or a 504 Plan alone are not acceptable documentation.  Prior accommodations in an educational setting do not necessarily warrant the provision of current accommodations.  Services for Students with Disabilities will seek clarification of information and recommendations for accommodations if necessary.  Services for Students with Disabilities will make the final determination in providing appropriate and reasonable accommodations.

X.        Reader and Tape-Recording Guidelines and Procedures

The student must provide documentation of the disability that supports the need for a reader or tape recording.  While the provision of reader services is a traditional means of providing accommodations, this may not be the best alternative in today's high tech world.  There are other options available that may require less time and/or human resources and still provide appropriate accommodation for the test-taker.  One option is to have the test read onto tape in advance.  Test-takers then use the tape in a private setting and can listen to the information several times.  Another option is to allow the use of adaptive equipment which takes the place of a live reader.  Whenever possible, these options should be explored.

A.     Readers of tests should always remain impartial and should not in any way be affected by the student's performance on the test.  For example, the student's tutor would not be an appropriate choice for the reader.  Further, the reader should read with even inflection in their voice throughout, so that the test-taker does not receive any question by the way the information is read.

B.     Readers are not allowed to elaborate on test items unless specifically advised by the instructor.  The reader may simply read the item a second or third time, but is not allowed to define vocabulary words, concepts, or give other "hints".  The student is allowed, if possible, to go to the instructor for clarification during the exam.

C.     Readers should maintain appropriate behavior for a testing situation. For example, readers should not engage in extraneous conversation during the test.

D.     The contents of the test are confidential and neither the reader nor the student should discuss the contents outside of the testing situation.

E.      Readers should not be currently enrolled in the same course.  If test validity is thought to be compromised, Pellissippi State reserves the right to discontinue reader services.

F.      Pellissippi State will not pay for readers for students who are eligible for this service through the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

G.     Both the reader and student must adhere to all reader guidelines.

H.     I have read and understand the procedures stated above and agree to abide by these guidelines:

 

Student Signature                                  Date

Reader Signature Date

 

ATTACHMENT A

Tests for Assessing Adolescents and Adults with AD/HD

Psycho educational and neuropsychological testing

Aptitude

· Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – III (WAIS-III)
· Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery – Revised; Tests of Cognitive Ability
· Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT)

Academic Achievement

· Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults
· Stanford Test of Academic Skills
· Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery – Revised:  Tests of Achievement
· Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
Or specific achievement tests such as:
· Nelson-Denny Reading Skills Test
· Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test
· Test of Written Language – 3 (TOWL-3)
· Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – Revised

Information Processing

· Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-3 (DTLA-3)
· Information from subtests on WAIS-R or Woodcock-Johnson Psycho educational Battery- Revised:  Tests of Cognitive Ability, as well as other relevant instruments

Rating Scales (to be used in conjunction with other data) such as:

· Wender Utah Rating Scale
· Brown Attention-Activation Disorder Scale
· Beck Anxiety Inventory
· Hamilton’s Depression Rating Scale
· Conners Teacher Rating Scale (ages 3-17)
· Conners Parent Rating Scale (ages 3-17)


Attachment B

 

TO:                                                                              Course(s):

           

FROM:

RE:       Academic Accommodations                  

 

NAME:

CWID:

DATE:

 

This student is entitled to appropriate and reasonable accommodations that are consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) staff encourage students and faculty to discuss the course requirements and the accommodations that are recommended in order for the student to have equal opportunity.  Substantial modifications of reasonable academic standards and essential academic requirements are not mandated. In situations where you have questions about reasonable accommodations, please contact SSWD staff at 539-7153, 539-7091 or 694-6751 (Voice/TDD).

Students must contact SSWD each semester that they are requesting accommodations to complete an updated accommodation plan.

 

Accommodations

 

Classroom

Evaluation

Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________________

Student Signature

 

_________________________________________

SSWD Staff Signature

 

Date received by instructor: ________________________ Student initials: _________

 

 


Approved: Executive Council, April 2, 1991
Executive Council, February 11, 1993
Editorial Changes, April 30, 1993
Reviewed/Recommended: President's Council, December 11, 1995
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, December 12, 1995
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, February 24, 1999
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 4, 2000
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, February 3, 2000
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, September 25, 2000
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, August 5, 2002
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, September 15, 2003
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 31, 2005

Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 19, 2006
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Staff, September 17, 2007

Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, September 17, 2007

Editorial Changes, July 2008